Quiet island in the Koh Chang archipelago, with palm-backed beaches, waterfalls, and rubber plantations.
The southernmost major island in the Koh Chang archipelago, Koh Kood is quieter and less developed than its bigger neighbor. The beaches are beautiful — long stretches of white sand backed by coconut palms — and the interior has waterfalls and rubber plantations. Most visitors come for a few days of doing very little, which is exactly the point.
Koh Kood is reachable by speedboat from Koh Chang or from Laem Sok pier on the mainland near Trat.
Koh Kood's food scene is split between resort restaurants on the west-coast beaches and the simpler — and usually better — Thai kitchens in the fishing villages on the east side and along the road through the interior.
For the freshest seafood, head to Ao Salad in the north or Ao Yai in the south: both villages have a handful of family-run wooden restaurants built out over the water, with crab, squid and whatever was landed that morning at fair prices. The west-coast resorts will do you a beach barbecue and a respectable green curry but rarely surprise. Vegetarians and vegans should know that almost any Thai dish on the island can be made without fish sauce if asked, but it is worth asking.
A single paved road runs roughly north–south along the spine of the island, with short spurs to the beaches and fishing villages. Most visitors get around on a rented scooter or motorbike (around 200–300 baht a day), which is the cheapest and most flexible option. The road has plenty of steep, sandy bends — wear closed shoes and ride within your skill.
If you don't want to ride, songthaews (shared pickup taxis) run a loose schedule between the main beaches, and most resorts will arrange airport-style transfers to the waterfalls or fishing villages for a small fee. Distances are short — even the southern tip of the island is only about 40 minutes by road from Klong Chao.
Koh Kood can only be reached by boat. Speedboat services run twice daily from Laem Sok pier on the mainland near Trat, and also from Bang Bao pier on Koh Chang during the high season (roughly November to May). A slow boat carries mostly supplies but does take passengers. The crossing from the mainland takes about an hour by speedboat.
Koh Kood is small — around 25 km long and 10 km across — and most of what there is to do involves the sea, a beach, or a short trip into the rubber-planted interior. The west coast holds the long sandy beaches that the island is famous for, and the east coast keeps a couple of working fishing villages on stilts. A single paved road runs roughly north–south and a rented scooter or motorbike is by far the easiest way to get around.
The two big freshwater waterfalls (Klong Chao and Khlong Yai Ki) are the standard inland outings, both an easy walk from the road. For divers and snorkellers, the small islands and reefs around Koh Rang to the northwest of Koh Kood are among the best in the eastern Gulf.
Koh Kood has a strongly seasonal climate. The reliable months are November through April: dry, hot, blue skies, and calm seas. December and January are peak — busiest, most expensive, but also the most pleasant weather.
From May to October the southwest monsoon brings heavy rain, choppy seas, and rough crossings from the mainland. Many of the smaller resorts close completely from June to mid-October, and the day boats to Koh Rang stop running. The island is much quieter and much cheaper in these months, but a fair number of days will be wet and the sea is often not swimmable. September is the worst month for weather.
